Now, drones to tackle nuclear emergencies!

India has developed a remote-controlled drone for responding to and preventing radiological emergencies in public places, a top official said Wednesday.

Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Chairman R.K. Sinha announced the development at the 58th session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna.

"For prevention of and response to radiological emergencies, including threat of Radiological Dispersal Device, a Quadrotor-based Aerial Radiation Monitoring System (QARMS) has been developed," Sinha said.

The QARMS can be used to search Orphan Radioactive Sources and assess any spread of radioactive contamination following radiological emergencies. A Quadrotor is a helicopter that is lifted and propelled by four rotors.

Besides the QARMS, India has also developed a 'Quick Scan-type Whole Body Monitor' to measure internal contamination in human beings. This will further enhance preparedness in radiological emergencies.

With a counting time of one minute, the system can detect inhaled or ingested gamma emitters delivering less than 10 micro-Gray effective dose.

With a rate of monitoring fifty individuals per hour, this system will serve as a valuable tool for quickly screening potentially affected individuals in case of a radiological emergency in public domain, Sinha explained.